Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance, Senator Gallagher. In text messages that have been released Mr Shiraz states:

Katy is going to come to me with some questions you need to prepare for ... She's really invested now ha ha.

Minister, did you provide any questions to Mr Shiraz or Ms Higgins?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I haven't seen those text messages. I have only seen what has been reported in the papers and on TV, and I would again say—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Hang on sec. Hold on to your hats. I would say that in relation to that that is the most egregious abuse of privacy I think I have ever seen. That the stakes are to the point where people will publish that and then run with those knowing that a young woman of this country—

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator Cash?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President. I will preface my point of order with a quote from the Leader of the Government in the Senate who on 21 February 2021 said this—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, Senator Cash, you won't. You will get to your point of order.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This minister is accountable to the Australian people through this chamber. We are not asking her to divulge private conversations.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, what is your point of order?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is accountable to the chamber, and she is refusing to provide—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Cash, please resume your seat.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! Minister Wong.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the point of order, I would suggest to you, President, and to the chamber, that the use of private text messages obtained without consent in this chamber is a reasonable matter for a minister to respond on when those are put to him or her. Again, I would encourage all of us to reflect on the context of these current discussions and the effect on the individual concerned.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister Wong.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Order! Order on my left! Order across the chamber! Order! I should not have to remind senators to listen and respect the answers. You don't have to agree with them, but it's not okay to banter across the chamber. In response to your point of order, Senator Cash, which wasn't about relevance, I will take it on notice. Minister, please continue.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. After making those points about the egregious breach of privacy that is continuing to occur against a young woman in this country, I would refer you to my statement, and that is what I am going to continue to do, because I had confidential information given to me. That information, at their request, was to remain confidential—

Opposition senators interjecting—

It remained confidential until Ms Higgins decided to make that information public. That is how it happened.

Opposition senators interjecting—

I know it upsets you greatly, but that's how it happened.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, please resume your seat. The interjections are disorderly and they're disruptive. Minister, please continue.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I've finished.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, first supplementary?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, at any point prior to 15 February 2021 did you communicate with any other person about potential questions to ask the then government regarding Ms Higgins's allegations?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I refer you to my statement. That is the information. Last week I was being accused of misleading the Senate and having an inappropriate role in a compensation payout. I have dealt with those in my statement today. I have also made it clear that the wellbeing of Ms Brittany Higgins matters to me—it matters to me. I, as the Minister for Women, don't think it's acceptable to subject her—because this is what happens—to further commentary in a very distressing time for her. I don't think it is. I think for all the young women waiting out there and wondering about whether they should stand up and say something and for all the older women it's happening to who are wondering whether they should stand up and say something—and they get treated like this— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie, second supplementary?

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, in June 2021 you told a Senate committee, 'No-one had any knowledge,' yet you had personally exchanged messages about the allegations. You publicly said, 'I wasn't aware of the full allegations,' but it has been made public that you received content of Ms Higgins's interview. You also publicly said that you did nothing with the information, yet there are claims that you sent questions to Ms Higgins. Isn't it the case that you have misled the Australian public and the Australian Senate? (Time expired)

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The answer to that is no.